Target



Feb. 28, 1939. J cRAlN ET AL I 2,148,438

TARGET Filed Oct. 25, 1936 2 f i: la

0--- e:- 1 5 I I0 20 E 6 IE I Q Q Inventors James K r'ain Frank KmwalskLdr.

may be made within the scope of what is claimed Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TARGET James K. Grain, United States Army, Cuero, Tex., and Frank Kowalski, Jr., United States Army, Belmont, Mass.

Application October 23, 1936, Serial No. 107,230

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

5 Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manu- Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the trigger and factured and used by or for the Government for l governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a target and more particularly it has reference to a target of the annunciating type.

Under actual conditions of warfare troops experience no difficulty in ascertaining the effec- ;tiveness of their fire and in determining the attainment of fire superiority. The training of troops under simulated war conditions is conducted by executing combat firing problems. In such a problem a large number of targets are distributed over an extended portion of the terrain to represent opposing troops and a group of troops undergoing training fire their various weapons at the area containing the targets. With inanimate targets it is impossible for the troops to immediately know the effect and distribution of their fire and as a consequence the exercise is unreal and its training value is insignificant.

In order to increase the value of this character of training as well as to provide reality, in-

terest and novelty in all kinds of target practice, it is the purpose of this invention to provide a target that will automatically and immediately give an observable indication of the effect of fire. The impact of a missile or projectile on the target will set up vibrations in the target to actuate signaling apparatus adapted to produce various types of visual or audible signals.

More specifically, further objects of the invention are to provide novel trigger mechanisms for transmitting the impact energy to signalling apparatus and to employ a fluid pressure medium for controlling the production of a smoke signal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation and partly in section and showing a modification of the trigger.

Fig. 5 is a more or less schematic view illus trating the association of the trigger with an electrical switch.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a support or frame 5 which carries a target 6 mounted in any suitable manner so that it will vibrate as a result of the impact of a projectile or missile.

A shelf 1 on the frame supports a valve block 8 which has a chamber 9, an inlet passage Ill, and an outlet passage H which is in communication with the chamber by a passage H. A valve [3 slidably mounted in the passage l2 and adapted to engage a valve seat l4 to close the passage l2 has a stem I5 projecting from the block 8.

A housing 15 attached to the block 8 by screw bolts H is formed with a slot l8 in which a trigger i9 is mounted on a pivot pin 20. A cam surface 2! on the lower end of the triggeris engageable with the stem l5 of the valve in order o move the valve to open position and establish communication between the chamber 9 and the outlet passage H. the housing [6 and has a ball 22 on its upper end which is adapted to engage the target. When the valve is in closed position the trigger is normally inclined towards the target against which it is held by the force of gravity.

A stop member 23 is threaded in the block 8 and extends into the chamber 9 to limit movement of the valve l3 in opening.

A container 24 for storing a pressure medium i placed in the vicinity of the valve block and s connected to the inlet passage l0 thereof by a line 25 which includes a cut-ofi valve 26. The pressure medium consists of air or gas or a chemi'cally suitable liquid or solid of a low boiling point such as methyl chloride, sulphur dioxide or simil r substances which under atmospheric temperature produce a vapor pressure.

A container 21 for storing asmoke-producing agent 23 has a discharge aperture 29 and is connected to the outlet passage H of the block by a line 3!]. The line 39 extends into the container and may be disposed above or within the smokeproducing agent which consists of a chemical substance such as titanium tetrachloride, sulphur trioxide-chlorsulfonic acid mixture, or a mixture having similar chemical characteristics.

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where in:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing one form of the improved signalling target.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve.

The trigger projects above When the apparatus is prepared for operation the pressure line is open and the pressure medium flows into the chamber 9 and acts on the valve 13 to hold it closed, and through the valve to yieldingly maintain the trigger l9 against the target 6. When the target is struck by a missile the energy of impact is transmitted to the trigger which moves toward the valve block and during this movement the cam surface 2| on the lower part of the trigger acts on the valve l3 to open it and enable a portion of the pressure medium to flow through the outlet passage I I and through the line to the container 21. On entering the container 21 the pressure medium vaporizes a small portion of the smokeproducing agent 28 and blows a puff of smoke out of the discharge aperture 29.

When the pressure transmitted to the trigget by the target ceases, the fluid pressure in the chamber 9 closes the valve l3 which in turn rocks the trigger to an inclined position from which it falls by gravity until it rests against the target.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the trigger consists of a ball 3| contained in an inclined tubular guideway 32 which is attached to a valve block 33 similar to the valve block of Fig. 2. When the ball is driven up the inclined guideway it strikes a valve 34 and moves it to the open position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, a pivot trigger 35 is illustrated in association with a movably mounted member 36 representing an element of an electrical switch. In an arrangement of this character a spring 31 is provided for returning the trigger into engagement with the target 38.

We claim:

1. In a target ap aratus, a support, a target carried by the support and arranged to vibrate upon impact of a missile, a valve block adjacent the target and having an inlet and outlet, a valve in block for closing the outlet, 2. trigger pivotally mounted on the block and inclined to engage the target, said trigger adapted to be moved when the target is struck by a missile and having a cam surface engaging the valve to move it to open position, a container connected to the inlet or the valve block, a pressure medium in said container, a container connected to the outlet of the valve block and having a discharge aperture, and an agent in said container adapted to produce a puff of smoke on admission of the pressure medium.

2. In a target apparatus, a target movable on impact of a missile, a valve block adjacent the target and having a passage, a valve for closing the passage, a trigger normally engaging the target under the influence of gravity and movable when the target is struck by a missile to open the valve, means for supplying a pressure medium to the passage of the valve block, an agent vaporizable under pressure to produce smoke, and means for conducting the pressure medium to said agent.

3. In a target apparatus, a target movable on impact of a missile, a valve block adjacent the target and having a passage, a valve for closing the passage, a trigger normally engaging the target and movable when the target is struck by a missile to open the valve, means for supplying a pressure medium to the passage of the valve block, an agent vaporizable under pressure to produce smoke, and means for conducting the pressure medium to said agent.

4. In a target apparatus, a target movable on impact of a missile, a container adjacent the target, a chemical substance in the container which under atmospheric temperature produces vapor pressure, a second container, a chemical substance in the second container vaporizable under pressure to produce smoke, a pressure line between the containers, and means actuated by the target on impact of a missile for controlling the transmission of pressure in the pressure line.

5. In a target apparatus, a target movable on impact of a missile, a container adjacent the target, a pressure medium in the container, a second container, an agent in the second container vaporizable under pressure to produce smoke, a pressure line between the container, and means actuated by the target on impact of a missile for controlling the transmission of pressure in the pressure line.

JAMES K. GRAIN. FRANK KOWALSKI, JR. 

